The Key Incident
by May
Summary: Where does the Key end and the girl begin?


The Key Incident

Where does the Key end and the girl begin?

Summary: When Dawn Summers was eighteen, the Key inside her began to take control. Dawn Summers began to disappear. She forgot her monk-made memories and she began exploring the power that was inside her. When she turned twenty-one, Dawn Summers, the person, was gone and all that was left was the Key.

It started on a Tuesday. Buffy Summers went to her sister's apartment and found the place covered in blood. Her younger sister was sitting, calmly, on her bed. Dawn's arm was slashed and there was a bloody knife on the floor. When she looked up at the Slayer, Dawn's eyes were a glowing green.

A/N: It's strange and it might not be my best, but it's what came to me when I sat down to write a story about Dawn dealing with the Key inside her. 'Cause I thought it was dropped way too soon and way too easily. Italics means the Key is speaking inside Dawn's mind.

Rated: M (the Key's got a dirty mouth and there is some sexual stuff.;later)

"It's just a legend." Marcus Clever stated firmly. He sniffed and pushed his glasses farther up his long nose. "No literature even mentions the Key."

He and his study group sat around a large wooden table in the library at the Counsel Academy in England. They were supposed to be writing an eight page report on a famous vampire of their choice, but somehow the topic had gone to the Key. For years rumors had been going around the school that there was a Key and that it might even be in a secret room under their very school. Marcus always thought it was a little too _Harry Potter_, but his fellow second years seemed to like the idea.

"But wouldn't it be so tragic?" Bonnie Notts asked in a low whisper. "The Key put into human form and given a life, only to have it slowly slip away as the real Keyness comes out."

"And romantic." Emily Rogers sighed dramatically.

James Foreman raised an eyebrow. "Em, how is that romantic?"

Emily gave James a look. "Foreman, don't be a git. The_ rumors_." James just blinked. "The rumors that a guy fell in love with her when she was eighteen and despite the fact that she was changing and going mad, he stayed with her. They say," she leaned closer. "it's Professor Conner Angel and that he visits her with the other members of the staff. They all take care of her because she'd nutters and can't remember things anymore. The room's supposed to be special, Deputy Head Mistress Rosenberg did it; made it so the Key can't get out."

Marcus sniffed again. "And how do you know that?"

"Victoria Sharpe told me." Emily stated. "She is a S.I.T. and she was training with Professor Conner when Deputy Head Mistress Rosenberg stopped by. She heard them whispering." Emily sighed again. "So, Marcus, it's true. The Key is down somewhere below the school."

Marcus rolled his eyes. "You'll excuse me if I think you're being stupid." He went back to his paper without another word.

Emily rolled her eyes again, but she went back to hers, deciding that at least James and Bonnie believed her.

* * *

The memories the monks had made had gone first. Followed by names, places, things. She had been so sure she would remember if she tried hard enough, but she never did. It got to the point where Buffy and Xander had made post-its and put them all over the apartment. Bright and happy yellow post-its telling her that the big thing in the corner was a 'stove' and that the big comfortable thing was a 'bed'. They had even made lists and posted them for her. Lists that told her how to brush her teeth, take a bath, dress, even walk. Of course, once she couldn't even remember how to read, the post-its and lists were replaced by pictures. 

According to Giles, the Key was growing powerful inside the tiny shell of Dawn Summers and so, it was making room for its powers by getting rid of things Keys don't need. Things like memories and instincts. Things like human sanity. The Key wanted out, it didn't want to be human anymore.

Three years after Dawn had started to loss her grip, she or _It_ decided to do _Its_ job. Dawn had found a knife and slashed, but nothing had happened. So, Dawn slashed again. Nothing. It appeared the Key could only open the gate ways between dimensions during certain times and at certain places now that it was in human form. Inside her head, Dawn could hear the Key curse the monks that had sworn to protect _It_.

After Buffy found Dawn, the old group had gotten back together (with some new additions in the form of the L.A. gang) and decided what to do. They decided to lock Dawn, or the Key, or rather both, away until it could be solved.

Years later and a non aging Dawn was still locked away under a school.

* * *

Curled into a ball and rocking back and forth, Dawn Summers silently studied the lights from her lamp as they played along her wall. She was only vaguely aware that there were three other people in the room; two males and a female. They were talking in harsh whispers that the Key inside didn't like. The Key had liked the way the monks and Glory had talked. Not the way these people always seemed to speak. 

"It's her birthday." The female whispered harshly. "She should see me on her birthday."

"She doesn't even know what bloody day it is." One of the males, the one with the accent, whispered back.

"You do seem to make _it_ come out." The other male whispered. Dawn's lips curled into a smile. It was one of the males she liked. The one who was always grinning at her.

"Conner." The female again and this time she had a warning tone to her voice. "She's my sister. And _it_ can't stop me from seeing her."

Dawn heard the Key laugh bitterly inside her head. _Super Buffy, damn bitch never let us…why couldn't we jump? End the pain, disappear, and go back to being what we are._

Dawn started rocking harder. She would not listen; it was a special day.

Something inside Dawn snapped. The Key had gotten upset. _Big day, big day. Got places to be._

"Listen-" Conner was cut short by a blood curling scream. All three exchanged a panicked look before heading deeper into the room.

They stopped by Dawn's favorite corner. She was now calmly sitting against the wall, her knees up against her chest and her head buried in her knees. Her dark hair covered her bleeding face. Buffy reached out to her and Dawn whimpered softly as she tried to hide herself in the wall.

Without thinking, Spike knelt down next to her and put a hand on her arm. Dawn whimpered again.

"Dawn? It's okay. It's me, Spike. Remember? And big sis is here and Conner." He glanced back at Buffy, who was trying not to look hurt, and Conner, who was grinning.

Dawn looked up at the three of them thru her hair. "I know you. I know you." She stared at Conner for a moment. For a moment, Conner allowed hope to rise. "Not the same." Slowly, the hoped faded.

"Yeah, I'm getting old." He commented, more to himself then to her. Truth was, the son of two vampires had only aged one year for every three since he had turned nineteen, but he had decided long ago to not argue with Dawn's new logic.

Dawn glanced at Spike then and her eyes grew wide with fear. "Must go, spiders will be here soon." By her tone, everyone knew she was trying to say something important. "_It_ talks to me, the voice tell me to do things. Awful, bloody, wonderful things." She had started to cry softly, her bloody tears falling to her knees. "Slash, open. Kill them all one by one."

Conner knelt down beside down and moved hair away from her face. There were fresh cuts and he knew what she had done to herself, again. "Shush, there are no spiders here. Promise."

Dawn slowly nodded. "_You_ don't lie to me." She looked past him and at Buffy. "You are a cat." Dawn now spoke as if she were reading from a textbook. "Nobody loved the cat. Left it behind. God got angry and kicked the cat out of Heaven."

Buffy tried to smile, but failed. She watched her little sister, her hands always playing with themselves and her large eyes were always darting around the room, watching things none of them could see. Dawn wasn't Drusilla crazy, because Drusilla knew. Poor Dawn had no idea what was going on in her mind. Buffy doubted Dawn even knew her own name anymore.

Buffy glanced out of the corner of her right eye and noticed that Spike had done over to the small wooden table. He was trying to make the gifts and small lemon cake look like it belonged at a real birthday party. Buffy smiled to herself. The cake read: 'Happy 38th, Dawnie' in bright pink letters. And even though Dawn hadn't aged once in seventeen years, even though she couldn't read anymore, it still meant something to Buffy.

Buffy glanced back down to her sister and Conner. Conner had sat down next to Dawn and he had some how gotten her to face him. Dawn was even allowing Conner to clean her face with a rag that had been in his pocket. Conner was the only person Dawn still allowed to really touch her and Buffy liked to think that apart of her sister still remembered Conner. Still remembered how he was so in love with her despite everything.

"Party'll start soon." Spike called out from the table. "Classes are done for the day."

"Classes?" Dawn was staring at Conner. "I-I don't…."

Conner just shook his head and grinned at her. "Doesn't matter. Nonsense stuff." He reached out and took one of her hands in his. "Do you…"

"Big day." Dawn replied knowingly. "Got places to be, big day."

Conner helped Dawn stand up and tried his best to clean her jeans, but she kept hitting his hands away. Finally, Conner sighed. "I'll take her to clean up." He led Dawn to her small bathroom, leaving Spike and Buffy to get the room ready for the others.

* * *

Conner turned the light on. Green light; green energy. 

What we should be.

Dawn shook her head, wanting the Key to just be quiet. She was with the male that she liked the most. He had sat her down on the edge of the large white thing and was cleaning the dried blood off her face. The thought that crying blood was not normal passed through her mind, but then it disappeared before Dawn could really think about it.

"Everyone's going to be here." Dawn glanced up and looked into Conner's eyes. He had such lovely and caring eyes; not like hers. "Don't be nervous."

"I don't…" Dawn trailed off. She didn't want to break his heart anymore by telling him that she honestly didn't remember who 'everyone' was. She had the pictures on her walls, but she was sure not all of the people in those pictures were still alive.

"I know." Conner told her softly. "It's okay. They just want you to be happy today. You remember, I explained happy to you?"

"I-yes." She reached out and touched his face; coping the movements that he had just done. "Would you do it?" Her strange glowing eyes stared down at his mouth.

It's wrong. Don't let that **thing** touch us.

Dawn stayed staring at Conner's mouth. She wanted him to kiss her, like she was so sure he used to. For her to feel and try and remember.

He moved a hand up and pushed her hair away from her face. Conner took a deep breath and seemed to think about what would happen if he did kiss Dawn. He hadn't kissed her for months and the last time….the last time she had suddenly screamed and Spike, Angel, and Xander had given him a long talk about not doing that sort of thing with Dawn. That had been followed by a rather awkward talk with Buffy about Dawn being 'special' and how Conner was a grown man and should find a nice girl who would remember the kiss the next day.

But, looking at Dawn, Conner couldn't help but feel like she did remember. He **knew** she remembered when he touched her.

Conner gently removed Dawn's hand from his face. He placed her hands on her small lap. Taking her by the shoulders, he helped her stand. Conner put his hands down at his side. "Just once." His voice was much lower then he wanted it to be. He could have sworn she tried to smile. "Don't scream."

Conner licked his lips and before he knew what he was doing, his lips were on hers. Her soft and unsure lips. She kissed him hungrily and Conner struggled to keep the kiss short and sweet and chaste. Except he kept getting flashes his mind. The way Dawn's flesh felt, the way she could move in bed.

Without knowing what he was doing, Conner's hands found themselves on Dawn's back. He had pulled her to him and unexpectedly he was holding her and deepening the kiss. For her part, Dawn didn't seem to mind at her. Her hands had moved up to Conner's hair, but they were just there. Only her lips were moving.

Stop it! He's dirty and less then us, don't you understand that you stupid whore! Should have let Glory kill us when she had the chance. Should have jumped. Jumped and disappeared from their memories and-

The Key abruptly stopped. Conner had let one of his hands go up Dawn's shirt. Dawn pushed Conner away. He was gasping for breath and had turned red.

"Dawn, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He whispered.

For her part, Dawn ignored him. She had gone to the spot between the tub and the toilet and was pressing herself in that spot, her hands trying to hide her face.

"Dawn?"

You see. Great Miracle child Conner hurt you.

"Conner?" Slowly, Dawn moved her hands away from her face and for a short second, Conner could have sworn her eyes were normal again. "Is...is that you?"

"Yes." He moved toward her, but stopped himself from getting too close. "You remember me?" Was that hope he was allowing to be in his voice?

"No." It was a simple enough word-one he had known was coming-but it still broke his heart. "_It _does. _It_ knows all your names. Knows everything. Just won't let me know them." She shrugged lightly. "Wants to go back."

"And it thinks that if you get crazy enough, you'll go back?" Conner asked slowly. "Just cut yourself and let yourself bleed to death."

"I don't remember." Dawn stared closely at him. "Big day, got places to be, big day."

And just like that, Dawn's mind had wandered off again. Conner doubted she even knew what she had just said to him. Doubted she knew his name now. Wordlessly, Conner took Dawn's hand and led her through the door and into her awaiting party.


End file.
